Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The resourcefulness of the people of Sarajevo during the siege of the city was illustrated in the tunnel museum, also added to by our guide who, with her family lived through it. The city of Mostar was also particularly beautiful, the fallen bridge having been rebuilt exactly how it was before the war

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Sabena was really good, full of information, caring, sociable and organised

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bear in mind Dubrovnik is really expensive, pay in restaurants in the local currency not euros

Most Inspirational Moment

Possibly for me the lunch up in the hills with a very generous and welcoming Montenegrin family, and this was closely followed by numerous "pies" in the wilds of Lukomir following a walk on the hills.

Thoughts on Group Leader

What can I say about Sabina! "Hello, hello" Sabrina's passion for the region was clear and she struck just the right balance of giving us information without overloading us. She always put the group first and tried her best to make sure we had an enjoyable and hassle free adventure. I am proud to say she is now a friend and should she be your guide, she will enhance your trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Consider a night in Cavtat before the trip starts and extra time afterwards in Dubrovnik if you have never been there before. Otherwise, don't hesitate to book!

Most Inspirational Moment

The scenery - the Adriatic coastline of Perast and Kotor, Tara Canyon, the journey from Zabljak to Sarajevo (thank you Semie for your excellent driving skills) and all the history of the region. Sarajevo has lots to see and do and has so much more to offer than just its war history.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sabina Sirco was an excellent leader - she certainly deserves a nomination for an Exodus tour leader award. She was passionate about her country and through her family history was able to bring the history of the region alive. She put a lot of personal energy and time into ensuring that each of us had a really enjoyable trip. She was always friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, organised and with excellent English and communication skills. This all led to a relaxed and fun filled trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just book it!

Suggestions

You will need to go on a diet at the end of this trip - the food was excellent and abundant.

Most Inspirational Moment

Sarajevo

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader was young and enthusiastic

Most Inspirational Moment

There was inspiration to be found in almost everything we did. The journey from Zabljak to Sarajevo was particularly wonderful. The wild flowers were stunningly beautiful particularly where we had a coffee stop, as were the views to and the journey in the Piva gorge.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alen was an engaging guide full of useful information imparted with clarity. Always ready to help he came into his own when I slipped and broke my leg! He handled the situation in a very calm manner with excellent first aid skills. Moving on with the rest of the group Alen arranged support for my wife left in Sarajevo. What a guy!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you have travel insurance!

Suggestions

We were impressed by the friendliness we encountered especially considering their recent history.

Most Inspirational Moment

As a wild flower and especially Orchid lover, the Flora was breathtaking. The unspoilt countryside, meadows and alpine regions were packed full of so many species. Swimming in Kravica waterfalls was an experience never to be forgotten. The walk towards the Rakitnica canyon,views and lunch with one of the main village families sitting out in the open is a memory that will stay with me for a long time

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alen our group leader was over and above anything I could have asked for. He was extremely knowledgeable, interesting and great fun - even his jokes!! Nothing was to much trouble for Alen and he went out of his way to make this a truly memorable holiday. One of our group unfortunately broke his leg at the end of a hike. Alen’s knowledge of making a temporary splint, staying calm and organised and still managing to make sure we were all looked after was very impressive. What a guy and a man of many talents.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do make sure you have suitable foot ware for rougher terrain. The walk down to the Rakitnica canyon was rugged in some parts and some of the cobbled streets are slippery with so much footfall especially Mostar. We made the mistake of arriving at Kotor on day one after a long journey from Dubrovnik and crossing borders etc and went out exploring immediately. This wasn’t necessary as we had a guided tour the next day. It may be a good idea to walk up the steps to St John’s Fortress for panoramic views. This needs to be done earlier or later in the day because of the heat.

Suggestions

All the hotels were what I expected. They were clean adequate and the staff were all friendly. Our hotel in Zabljak had a chained up dog which woke us with it’s barking through the early hours as we were at the front of the hotel. When we arrived in Mostar it would have been great to chill out for the afternoon instead of going straight out for a tour in the heat and crowds. We had a fantastic driver Sandy. He was great fun, and a very safe driver. Truly memorable holiday

Most Inspirational Moment

Sarajevo - walking its streets, visiting its museums and mosques, taking views from its hills and remembering what they were used for, sampling its food and its vibrancy. But there were other highlights such as the view over Kotor Bay, the pleasure of seeing Mostar's restored old bridge from various angles including the top of a minaret and the traversing of a spectacular mountain road only just made passable through snowdrifts.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I can only echo the plaudits given to Sabina in other reviews. She just makes you happy to be in her country/region.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The group hotel in Dubrovnik is on the outskirts of the new town and a bus (approximately hourly) is needed to get to the old town. Don't know about taxis but reception seemed to want several hours notice for a taxi to the airport. The old town is small and almost overwhelmed by visitors. Seasoned walkers may find the walks undemanding (can't speak for the walk outside Sarajevo - truncated because of the weather)

Suggestions

Just for clarity, because of poor weather I chose to stay in Sarajevo rather than go with the group to Lukomir and so saw more of the city but none of the countryside. An extra day based in Sarajevo is the solution.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting Sarajevo & learning of the history. Seeing the spectacular mountain scenery

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sabina was wonderful, her passion for her country & for tourism & conservation came through very strongly. She was well organised & a lot of fun.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Please do this trip & learn about Bosnia & see the spectacular scenery.

Most Inspirational Moment

In addition to the scenery of the Balkans, the history of this part of the world is fascinating. The scars of the war are still very visible on many of the buildings, especially in Sarajevo. I still don't understand what started the war or why the rest of the world looked the other way, but I think it's important to learn from situations like this. One of the dozens of buildings that was destroyed in the war was the City Hall of Sarajevo. I took a picture of the plaque on the outside of the new building and the last line reads, "Do not forget, remember and warn!" I shall never forget.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sabina was an outstanding guide. She did a great job of organizing the trip and everything went very smoothly. On one of our days when we were supposed to walk in the mountains, the weather did not co-operate. That's OK, Sabina made a new plan and we still had a very fun day. If I am fortunate enough to return to this part of the world I would love to be in her group again. I especially loved hearing of her personal experiences during the war.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I'm sure the Balkans are great at any time of the year but I'm very glad I went in May. The days were warm but not too hot, nights were cool and wildflowers were blooming.

Most Inspirational Moment

Sarajevo, the resilience and friendliness of its people when important issues are still unresolved. It is a living, fascinating city. Montenegro and especially Kotor. An intact, walled old city on a harbour surrounded by steep mountains and with a fiercely independent history. The high mountains and deep river valley's of the countryside with remote villages.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sabina was excellent. She was knowledgeable, friendly, helpful and shared the remarkable history of her family to help us with understanding the rich cultural environment. Her warmth and humour helped bind the group together. Our driver Damen was very professional and soon gained our confidence with his driving on the steep, tortuous, narrow mountain roads.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Old men be warned, there are very few public toilets and stairs and steps are steep and rarely have handrails. The roads are unremittingly winding so bring a remedy if prone to car sickness. Read up on some history before going, it will enrich the experience.

Suggestions

Be prepared to be amazed by the richness of the history and geography of this fascinating region and its people, and if your guide is half as good as Sabina you will have a lot of fun.